


(a good thing) a sure thing

by kindapeachy



Category: SF9 (Band), 방탄소년단 | Bangtan Boys | BTS
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Childhood Friends, Childhood Friends to Lovers, Crushes, First Meetings, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Friendship, Idol Kim Taehyung | V, Jeon Jungkook & Kim Taehyung | V are Childhood Friends, Jeon Jungkook is Whipped, Jeon Jungkook-centric, Kim Taehyung | V is Whipped, M/M, Meet-Cute, Reunions, Slice of Life, Time Skips, University Student Jeon Jungkook, but i tried my best, inaccurate descriptions of places i've never visited, ish???, rapline doesn't talk much im sorry :((
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-08
Updated: 2020-08-08
Packaged: 2021-03-06 03:28:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,609
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25766719
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kindapeachy/pseuds/kindapeachy
Summary: "Hi, Gukkie," Taehyung laughs. "It's been a very long time.""Stare at him any longer and Jeonggukkie hyung will melt through the floor," Chanhee comments from his spot next to Yoongi after a beat passes. Jeongguk's cheeks flush in embarrassment."Chanhee!"The Taehyung that stands in front of him is blond, his wavy hair parted down the middle and framing his face perfectly despite a black mask covering the lower half of his face. He's dressed in dark, fitted jeans and a black t-shirt under a denim jacket that hugs his torso so nicely that Jeongguk's brain short circuits and he has to stop himself from staring.He comes to the astounding conclusion that Taehyung is prettyhot.or, the taekook au where jeongguk comes home after ten years and he finds that a lot has changed, but his crush on kim taehyung certainly hasn't.
Relationships: Jeon Jungkook/Kim Taehyung | V
Comments: 8
Kudos: 77





	(a good thing) a sure thing

**Author's Note:**

> hello!! this is my first completed taekook fic please give it some love! this was only supposed to be really short but the story kind of wrote itself lol. anyway, i hope you enjoy reading this as much as i enjoyed writing it! 
> 
> (i chose kang chani from sf9 as jk's little brother here bc he's another one of my fav doe-eyed boys huhu) 
> 
> title is from lauv's love somebody

☆

The Jeon household is a flurry of cardboard boxes and pieces of furniture that lay in random parts of the house. Moving into their new home proves to be a tedious and messy process, and Jeongguk is sure that they're at most half a week away from getting the house in order since they arrived here.

He's folding up the last of his clothes and putting them into his new closet when his brother comes into his room. "Hyung, the last few boxes arrived outside," says Chanhee. "Eomma wants us to bring them in."

Nodding, the two of them set out to bring in the remaining boxes, side-stepping potted plants and dodging their father who's bringing in a couple of blinds. "Eomma, you want us to bring these where?" Jeongguk calls out, arms around a medium sized cardboard box. 

"Just set them in the living room and start taking the things out, please!"

"'Kay!" 

The rest of their morning goes on in similar fashion, taking random bits of furniture out of the boxes and placing them onto the living room floor. Chanhee gets bored while setting up their gaming console by the tv and is currently playing a random kpop playlist on his Spotify. A song from a new drama is playing with the singer's deep voice resonating through the room. Their mom is busy taking out a bunch of old photo albums out of another box when she smiles, opening one. 

"Aigoo, look at this, Jeongguk-ah," she coos, showing the page where a four year old Jeongguk in a tiny red hoodie is throwing up a peace sign and looking at the camera. "Eomma, no," he groans, but he's smiling as he does, even craning his neck to see it better. "Oh, I forgot these were here," his mom continues, flipping through more pages until she stops on a couple of photos from when Jeongguk was ten. He's standing in the playground after school in his uniform, one of his arms around a boy with round cheeks and a cute eye smile and the other around a boy with a bowl cut and a boxy grin. 

Jeongguk smiles at the photo. He vaguely remembers that day, the two boys on either side of him some of the closest friends he had up until the move. "Jiminie and Taehyungie," he says, stroking over the photo. "It's a shame you boys lost contact," his mom sighs. She cards her fingers through his black hair affectionately. "We used to have them over all the time at the old house, remember? Taehyungie, Jiminie, and all your other hyungs." 

He hums. "Yeah," he says. "I guess it was pretty hard to keep in touch," he shrugs, turning the page of the album again. "Because by the time you actually let me have a phone I'd already had a bunch of these other friends and I guess…" He trails off softly. "I guess I never tried to look them up anywhere." 

This time, he stops at a picture of a group of seven boys making funny faces. If he remembers correctly, the tallest one that stands to the right is Namjoon, smiling wide, and on his left with his brown hair parted down the middle is Hoseok. Jeongguk stands on Namjoon's right and those to the left of Jeongguk are Seokjin, Taehyung, Jimin, and Yoongi respectively. Each of them have silly grins plastered on, winking and pulling faces as the person behind the camera takes a picture. 

“You used to have the most _adorable_ little crush on Taehyung too when you were younger,” his mother teases him. Jeongguk let out a choked sound. “Eomma, don't mention it _please_ ," he groans, embarrassed as his mother chuckles. 

His mother was right, he used to have the biggest crush on Taehyung when he was twelve. He didn't know if it was because Taehyung was older than he was and therefore cooler, or if it was because Taehyung always remembered to buy him extra lamb skewers on days where he had basketball practice. Either way, crushing on him was part of the reason why he was so upset when they first moved to America. Jeongguk was mostly sad that he wouldn't likely see him ever again, and that Taehyung and the rest of their friends would forget him. 

"Maybe now that we're back you can find a way to meet them again," his mom suggests, putting the other albums to the side before standing up. "Eomma," Chanhee pouts cutely from his seat on the couch. "Why don't I remember anyone from Korea before we moved?" 

Jeongguk chuckles. "You were like, _six_ , dude," Jeongguk says in English, rolling his eyes. He goes over to Chanhee and pulls him into a headlock, rocking them in their seats. "Why are you acting cute, hm? You hate acting cute." 

"Hyung, _stop,_ " Chanhee groans, squirming and trying to break free. "Don't be a _dick,_ oh my god—" Their mom laughs at them fondly on her way to the kitchen. "Okay, why don't you bring over some rice cakes to that ahjumma living next to the convenience store across the street, hmm?" She asks them. "We haven't introduced ourselves to her yet. Dinner will probably be done by the time you get back."

Being given the liberty to go out and explore with his brother has always been a good time for the both of them. Despite the six year gap, they get along really well and they know each other well enough that their teasing and banter never goes beyond what it is. They used to hang out on the weekends that Jeongguk was home from university and a lot of it was attributed to the fact that they both like the same things. Most nights with Chanhee, then and now, are spent watching Marvel movies on premieres or at home and debating on which Avenger was actually the best, their arguments always a back-and-forth mix of insults in English and Korean. 

"This neighborhood is really nice," Chanhee muses as they come back from greeting the ahjumma down the street. They picked up ice cream for dessert later, mostly because Chanhee wanted to see if the ice cream selection was any different over here compared to the ones in the Korean supermarkets back in California. 

(He also asked if Jeongguk would buy him soju, but Jeongguk just grinned at him, muttering, "Nice try, brat.") 

"It is," Jeongguk agrees. "Reminds me a lot of harabeoji and halmeoni's place in Busan." It's true. They'd moved into a peaceful neighborhood, a little away from the main streets and bustle of the city so their parents could enjoy the peace too. It's also a great spot for Jeongguk to scout out potential universities for his final year of college, he realizes, but he's still got a year's worth of time to figure that out. 

"Hyung, what if I get scouted to become an idol," Chanhee says suddenly. He points at a small tarp standing outside one of the cafés in the area that shows a boy with mint green hair and reads _WinterBear V 5th Anniversary Cupsleeve Event!_ "Or an actor," he continues. "You think eomma would mind?" 

"Probably not," Jeongguk answers. "You know she's always encouraged our dancing. And you're a performing arts nerd through and through, Chanhee-yah, there's no denying it."

"Yah, you're a nerd too!" 

  
  


"What do you think about a housewarming party?" Their eomma asks over dinner. Their dad makes a noncommittal noise, reaching over to grab another dumpling. "We don't really have anyone to invite over yet," he says, thoughtful. "It can just be the four of us," she replies with a shrug. "I mean, I think we can finish the living room and kitchen in a couple of days and then we can say we're finally moved in." 

"Can we order chicken?" Chanhee asks through a mouthful of food. "I liked the spicy kind that we had the other day."

Their mother smiles, nose wrinkling the same way Jeongguk's does. "Sure, baby." 

As they continue eating, Jeongguk thinks about their potential celebration and how it _is_ a little lonely, what with being new to the city after so long and not having any immediate family nearby other than themselves. There's their family in Busan, of course, but they won't be visiting any time soon. 

He wonders if he should take up his mom's suggestion of finding his old friends online. Just so he has people other than his family to hang out with one of these days. He wonders if they'll even remember him. He was the youngest out of all of them after all, and none of them were the same age as he was so he was always the little dongsaeng that followed everyone around because he liked them too much. 

Deciding that he'll think about it more later on, Jeonguk asks Chanhee to pass him the spicy tofu. Chanhee huffs and tells him to just _"lean over, headass,"_ and then winces when their mom tugs on his ear. Their appa just snickers at Chanhee's antics. Jeongguk sighs, reaching across sideways for the plate of tofu next to his dad and taking it himself. 

Just a normal evening at the Jeons'. 

☆

When he thought about trying to get in touch with his old friends, he didn't imagine it would happen so _soon._

It's been another week and a half since they moved in; their plans for a housewarming party were put on hold so that Jeongguk's parents could settle into their places at work. Whenever their parents are busy, Chanhee and Jeongguk amuse themselves by exploring the city on their own. And more often than not, they make a competition out of which of them can bring the tastiest food home to eat. 

Today, Jeongguk is out in Myeongdong when he wanders into a random café in search of any dessert or snacks he could get to rival Chanhee's pick. He bows politely in greeting to the staff as he enters. The space is airy and homey at the same time, and relatively vacant at two in the afternoon, so he walks up to the counter and asks what their best sellers are. 

The dark haired man behind the counter is tall, broad shouldered, and has an apron on with the store's logo. If Jeongguk had to assume, the man looked just a few years older than him, kind of reminds him of one of his hyungs with the way he smiles when customers come in and out of the store. Now he peers at Jeongguk curiously, like he's confused, and suddenly Jeongguk's a little conscious about whether or not his Korean is accented now. 

"Our brioche doughnuts are quite popular among customers," he answers, gesturing to the glass display on his right. "Oh, I see," says Jeongguk, walking over to get a proper look. 

"Could I get the vanilla cream and roasted strawberry ones to-go?" He asks, looking at the man again. The man blinks, nods his head, and starts preparing the take out boxes. "Name please," the man adds. He shuffles back behind the counter looking at Jeongguk expectantly.

"Um, Jeongguk." 

"Jeon?" 

Jeongguk looks up. "Huh?" 

The man squints at him. " _Jeon_ Jeongguk?" He asks again. Jeongguk looks at him in confusion. "Yeah?" 

The dark haired man breaks out into a sudden smile. "Is it really you?" He asks, stepping out from behind the cash register. His grin grows wider as he approaches, reaching out to squeeze Jeongguk's cheeks. "Huh?" Jeongguk says again, frowning. 

"Yah, is that how you treat your oldest hyung?" The man asks, "It's me! Kim Seokjin!" 

Jeongguk looks at him in surprise. "Jin hyung!" He exclaims. "Hi. Wow. I wasn't too sure it was you when I came in," He looks sheepish, scratching the back of his neck. "Sorry, it's been forever?" 

"I know your little doe eyes and rabbit teeth anywhere, maknae," he teases. Jeongguk grins at that; he hasn't been the youngest in a long time. "It's good to see you, Jeonggukkie," Seokjin greets him, going in for a hug. "How long have you been in Korea?" 

"We just migrated back, actually," Jeongguk admits. Seokjin hums, going back around the counter to finish boxing his pastries. "It's been what— nine, ten years? You were so little when you left for America," he comments, putting three of each flavored doughnut into the box. 

"I wasn't _that_ little," Jeongguk protests, laughing. "But yeah. Appa wanted to move back home because he missed it just as much as we did." Seokjin rattles off the price and deposits the box in front of him. "Oh, and how's your family? Chanhee-yah was even littler than you." 

"They're doing great," says Jeongguk, glad that his hyung remembered his brother too. "Chanhee's in high school and I'll be in my final year at university, though I think we're putting those on hold until we finally settle in properly." He pays Seokjin and they eventually sit down at one of the small tables in the cafe at Seokjin's insistence. 

They continue catching up; Seokjin explains that he runs the café and it's kind of like his side hustle when working at his dad's company gets too hot to handle. Jeongguk tells his hyung about his mom's suggestion to seek out his old friends. "I didn't think I'd actually run into any of you anytime soon," he says. 

"What're the odds, huh?" Seokjin quips. "Maybe it's the universe's way of telling you something." 

"Maybe," Jeongguk shrugs. "Do you guys still hang out together? Like, the six of you?" He asks, taking a sip of the iced coffee he ordered. He's always wondered if they all remained friends, or if they went their separate ways once they graduated high school. "Oh yeah, of course. We wanted to look for you on like, Instagram or something but we couldn't find you," Seokjin says sadly. "We still hang out. We try to see each other whenever our work schedules match up." 

Seokjin suddenly lights up with an idea. "You should come the next time we meet!" He tells him. "The others would love to see you!" Jeongguk smiles happily, sits up straighter in his seat in excitement. "Can I?" He asks earnestly. "I want to."

"Of course, Gukkie! Here—" says Seokjin, pulling his phone out and gesturing for Jeongguk to put his number in. They talk some more until the sun begins to set and a few customers start coming into the store. Jeongguk gets up to go home when he realizes it's nearly five in the afternoon. 

"I really hope we see you when we next meet up, Jeongguk-ah," Seokjin says honestly. He gets up too to help his other employees handle the new arrivals, walking back hurriedly to the counter. "It's a promise, hyung," Jeongguk assures. "See you!" 

Jeongguk leaves with a wide grin on his face, a box of doughnuts in his hand, and a promise of seeing familiar faces again. 

☆

A lot has certainly changed since Jeongguk's last time in South Korea. When his family had moved to the States ten years ago, the city had felt significantly larger and less crowded, less cars on the road and not as busy. Now, Jeongguk finds, as he walks down the street, that Seoul is the exact opposite of what he had remembered.

It's a little warm this afternoon, making him regret the denim jacket he had shrugged on moments earlier. His eomma sent him on a grocery run for kimchi jjigae ingredients, so that's really his only agenda for today. 

_"How much jjigae do you plan on making tonight, eomma?" He asked her, eyeing her grocery list, baffled. "We're only four people?"_

_"It's so that you can bring some over to your Seokjin hyung!" She replied. "He always gives you discounts every time you drop by, so we should take care of him too!" She looked at him, hands on her hips. "You should ask him to bring all your other hyungs over to his café so you can all reconnect."_

_By the fridge, Chanhee shot her a strange look before shaking his head and digging through the contents of their refrigerator instead._

_"That's the plan, eomma, we're going to—" Jeongguk cut himself off with a sigh when she looks at him sternly. "Okay, anyway, I'm heading out now."_

_Chanhee let out an indignant squawk when Jeongguk dunked his head further into the fridge on his way out, Jeongguk chuckling as he did. He grabbed his wallet and jacket off the couch and headed for the door._

_"Yah, hyung!" Chanhee called after him, dark brown hair still tousled in different directions. "Can you buy banana milk too, please?"_

Since running into each other, he and Seokjin have been texting each other from time to time, mostly Seokjin keeping him up to speed with how things are going for him and Jeongguk continuously asking if Jin can give him free samples of all his café's new treats. 

**jin hyung** : you're gonna run me out of business jeongguk ah tsk tsk 

**jeongguk** : pleaseee hyung ㅠㅠ

He passes by stores and outdoor cafés blasting kpop songs he isn't familiar with; walks down streets with different idols blown up on billboards and projected onto screens. 

There's an entire bus with some guy's face on it that says _congrats V! Sweet Night 109 #1s on iTunes_ that passes the street just as he enters the grocery. _The entertainment industry in Korea is insane_ , he muses. He doesn't keep up with kpop and entertainment here in Korea, but he can tell that this V person must be one of the industry's best to warrant this many of his ads everywhere possible. He grabs a vacant cart by the entrance of the grocery and begins checking off his mom's list one by one, remembering to grab his and Chanhee's favorite brand of banana milk and some other snacks on the way to check out. 

"Twenty-four thousand and three hundred eighty won, sir," says the cashier, Jeongguk forking out the money soon after. He bows his head to the girl behind the counter in thanks after paying and gathering all his things, setting off again down the street. He feels his phone vibrate in his pocket.

**chanhee-yah:** hyung

 **chanhee-yah:** hyungie

 **chanhee-yah:** did u get lost ㅋㅋ

 **jeongguk** : no why are u so fussy???? 

**chanhee-yah** : eomma is worried u got lost lol

 **jeongguk** : yah i've been out more than you have this entire week 🙄🙄

 **jeongguk** : im omw home don't worry 

Jeongguk sighs fondly, pocketing his phone. His mother has always fretted over the two of them, regardless of how old they were. Living in a familiar—yet new—environment has only magnified that. His phone buzzes again. 

**chanhee-yah** : also did u buy nana milkkk

 **jeongguk** : oh shit so that's what i forgot. oops

Jeongguk smirks when he sees that Chanhee's only reply is a single dot. He gets a notification from Jin too, telling him that he's lucky enough to be the only one getting freebies from _Epiphany!_ because Jin doesn't hand them out to anyone else.

As the view of their house comes up from down the street, he picks up the pace and half jogs all the way up to the gate all the while mindful of the grocery bags in his hands. He unlocks it with his key and makes his way across their abnormally expansive lawn. ( _I guess that's what happens when your appa decides he wants to live in a modern hanok_ , Jeongguk thinks.)

As he approaches the door, he hears a bout of loud chatter inside the house, making him wonder if his mother had invited a few neighbors over.

Stepping through the entrance, Jeongguk gets the shock of his life when a loud cry of "surprise!" echoes inside the room. He blinks slowly, eyes wide, and sets down the bag of groceries onto the couch. "It's...not my birthday, though?" he says. A boy with bright orange hair laughs and runs up to greet him in a hug. 

"Jeonggukkie!" He says happily. "You didn't forget us, did you?" 

Jeongguk takes his time to properly look at the boy in front of him and then to the four other new faces in the room amongst his family. He sees Seokjin give him a wink.

The boy with orange hair is a few inches shorter than he is and smiles so brightly and so widely his eyes look like crescents. It's oddly familiar. It actually reminds him of— 

"Oh, _Jimin_!" Jeongguk barks out a laugh, finally returning his hug. He hugs him tightly as he looks over Jimin's shoulder spotting all his old friends from when he was a kid. He sees his eomma smiling at him knowingly. She and Seokjin probably had _everything_ to do with this and the large amount of kimchi jjigae his mother was about to cook. He knew he should've been suspicious the moment his mom asked for Jin's number. He sticks his tongue out at the two, laughing. 

He lets go of Jimin and goes up to greet the rest of his hyungs. His mother pinches his cheeks as she leads Chanhee to the kitchen, insisting that she needs help. "You don't know how many times she nearly spilled the secret today," he tells Jeongguk, shaking his head. "Yeah," he agrees, eyeing his mother jokingly. " _Great_ diversion techniques earlier, eomma!" 

He's getting bear hugs from Hoseok and Namjoon and Yoongi when Seokjin shuffles over and becomes dead weight on Jeongguk's back in lieu of a hug. "Hyung, you planned this, didn't you?" says Jeongguk, looking over his shoulder. 

"Your eomma thought it would be a sweet idea," Jin replies. "Jin hyung told us about it a couple of days ago," Jimin tells him, eyes crinkling. "We were really excited to see you again." 

"We're missing one, though," Hoseok says, a glass filled with a clear drink in his hand. "Taehyungie isn't here yet." 

"He says he's still finishing something up at the studio," Yoongi informs them. "But he'll be here." 

"Studio?" Jeongguk asks. 

Yoongi hums in confirmation. "Don't worry, Guk-ah, Taehyungie wouldn't miss this for the world," he smiles. "Started getting all pouty when Jin hyung mentioned that the two of you started texting. He couldn't wait to see you." 

Jeongguk suddenly feels warm. He was close to all his hyungs growing up; being childhood friends and living only a few houses away from each other did that. But he also spent lots of his time with Taehyung and Jimin because they were closer in age. Most of their time together was spent playing video games and cuddling during naps. The three of them were inseparable. Couple that along with Jeongguk's childhood crush and Taehyung basically lived in his mind rent free twenty-four seven. It's nice that Taehyung's just as eager as he is to see each other again. 

The six of them fall into more conversation, catching up on each other's lives and what they've been up to. They settle onto the couches in the Jeons' sitting area, with Jeongguk squished between Seokjin and Jimin and he helps pour out drinks into everyone's cups. His hyungs talk about what they've been doing after university. (Jeongguk finds out that Yoongi works as a music producer and that Namjoon is pursuing a postgraduate degree.) 

Sometime after an hour, Chanhee comes in with snacks and gets dragged into their debate about which of the snacks tasted the best and whether or not they tasted different depending on where they were made. Chanhee looks at all of them exasperatedly, claiming, "They're still Cheetos!" and making them laugh. Jeongguk likes that it's still as easy to talk to them even after all these years. They joke around and tease each other and it really feels like he's back where he belongs.

Jeongguk sees Jimin's face brighten as he opens a text. "He's here!" He exclaims, waving his phone in Jeongguk's face. "Taehyung's at the door!" 

Jeongguk laughs at his excitement; it's like Jimin's the one who hasn't seen Taehyung in a decade instead of the other way around. He feels a little jittery, going to get the door, probably because he actually knows that he's meeting someone behind it this time and that it's _Taehyung,_ of all people. 

The last time he saw him was the summer of the year they moved; Taehyung was fourteen and lanky and had a choppy haircut that he'd done himself, much to the dismay of his mother and Jeongguk's endearment. 

Now, the Taehyung that stands in front of him is blond, his wavy hair parted down the middle and framing his face perfectly despite a black mask covering the lower half of his face. He's dressed in dark, fitted jeans and a black t-shirt under a denim jacket that hugs his chest so nicely that Jeongguk's brain short circuits and he has to stop himself from staring. 

He gulps. He comes to the astounding conclusion that while Taehyung was cute before, now he's pretty _hot._

And honestly? He likes it a lot.

Taehyung clears his throat. "Jeonggukkie?" He asks, his voice a low rumble that startles Jeongguk into looking back up at him.

"Mm." He grunts awkwardly with a brief nod of his head. He continues to stare at Taehyung, feeling flustered. His hand is still paused on the doorknob, the door only halfway open as the two of them take each other in for a moment. Taehyung looks at him, eyes shining in amusement, as he says, "Can I come in?" 

That snaps him back into reality. "Oh!" He realizes, "Yeah, sorry, come in please." He opens the door wide, allowing Taehyung to step through the entryway. Once inside, Taehyung turns around to face him again, arms open wide. "It's good to see you again, Gukkie." 

And Jeongguk can't help himself as he practically jumps into his arms, hugging him so tightly Taehyung almost stumbles backwards, huffing out a laugh. The rest of the hyungs snicker at them as they look on.

"Hi, Tae," he says quietly when they break apart. They're the same height and Jeongguk finds that this way he can appreciate Taehyung's features much better. "Hi, Gukkie," Taehyung laughs, sending off a swarm of butterflies in Jeongguk's stomach. "It's been a very long time." 

"Stare at him any longer and Jeonggukkie hyung will melt through the floor," Chanhee comments from his spot next to Yoongi after a beat passes. Jeongguk's cheeks flush in embarrassment. 

" _Chanhee!"_

His dongsaeng just chuckles wickedly when Jeongguk chases after him and aims a pillow at his head, calling for their mother for help. Jeongguk rolls his eyes, pretending to be annoyed just as their parents come into the living room. "Ah, is that Kim Taehyung?" Jeongguk's father says, looking at their newcomer and welcoming Taehyung with just as much warmth as he did when the other boys first entered the house. He gives Taehyung a pat on the shoulder when the blond bows politely. "You've grown up so well, Taehyung-ah," Mrs. Jeon praises him. "So handsome!" 

Taehyung lets out a short breath, looking bashful. "Thank you, Mrs. Jeon," he replies, bowing again. "You look lovely." 

Jeongguk's mother laughs jovially, patting Taehyung's cheek. "Thank you, dear," she says. She turns to address the other boys sitting on the couches. "Dinner's ready outside, boys," she announces, winking as she adds, "We hope you like samgyupsal." 

The whole house erupts into cheers in anticipation, filing out into the lawn one by one. 

☆

Once the food is eaten and the dishes are cleared and washed, the night is still young and Seokjin and Jimin have the brilliant idea of going to a _noraebang._

"It'll be fun!" Jimin says as he guides them through Hongdae. The seven of them huddle close together as they walk amongst the university crowd— it was a Friday night after all. "How's your singing, Jeonggukkie?" Taehyung asks beside him. Jeongguk turns to look at him. The lights from the different buildings and shops wash out his blond hair and cast purple shadows on his face. 

Not that he can see his whole face right now, since Taehyung's put his face mask back on the moment they stepped out of the Jeon residence. Either way, Jeongguk thinks that Taehyung looks pretty under all the city lights. Elusive and ethereal. 

Jeongguk snaps himself out of his thoughts, shrugging. "I mean, I don't think I'm very good?" He admits. "I didn't really go to a lot of karaoke places in California." 

"So what _did_ you do in California?" Taehyung looks at him teasingly, eyes alight with mirth. He loops his arm through Jeongguk's as they walk down another crowded street. The two of them are walking behind everyone now, and Jeongguk hopes Taehyung isn't close enough to hear the loud beating of his heart. 

"I studied. Hung out with my friends and Chanhee, binge-watched a bunch of anime and movies," Jeongguk says, shrugging. "Went to the gym?" 

Taehyung giggles at his short explanation. He _giggles_ and Jeongguk thinks his heart can't take it because Taehyung is just so cute and attractive and wonderful. Feels himself get even more flustered when Taehyung tugs him closer when they try to catch up to everyone's pace. 

"Hm. I can tell," Taehyung replies, squeezing Jeongguk's bicep where it's tucked into his arm. Jeongguk freezes up, wondering if Taehyung's being flirty or just friendly. "But don't sell yourself short, Gukkie," Taehyung reprimands, clutching his arm more firmly. "I'm not, I'm not," Jeongguk argues, laughing. "So what about you?" He asks. 

"Hmm?" 

"How's _your_ singing?" 

Taehyung scoffs, "Decent at best." 

Jeongguk grins mischievously at him. "We'll see about that, hyung," he says. Taehyung's smile grows as he taps the underside of Jeongguk's chin and says, "Wait and see, Jeon Jeongguk." 

Here are the things Jeongguk has learned in the last hour that they've been in this _noraebang:_

  1. When Namjoon starts to get tipsy, he's shameless and will sing any idol song at the top of his lungs to anyone who will listen.
  2. Seokjin's laugh is still the same as he remembers. Big and hearty and joyful. Seokjin is easily amused by all their little antics. 
  3. The drunker Hobi gets, the less enthusiastic he is about life. 



Jeongguk giggles as he spots his hyung staring off blankly into space, looking dejected. He looks absolutely tired as he accepts the glass of water Yoongi hands him, mumbling a string of incoherent syllables together that probably meant _"thanks."_

Taehyung collapses next to Jeongguk on the couch, giggling as Jimin stumbles into him. "Jimin-ah, you're heavy," Taehyung complains, pushing him off sideways. Jimin doesn't say anything, just lies spread-eagled on the dark blue couch. 

Taehyung looks at him with his wide, boxy smile. "Hey, Jeonggukie," he greets. He notices how Jeongguk leans back on the couch looking worn out, fiddling with his own empty cup in his hands. "Tired already?"

Jeongguk shakes his head. "Just taking a break," he answers. "It's only ten, but I _have_ been sleeping earlier since we arrived here, so." He shrugs, makes a gesture with his hand like _'so-so'_. Taehyung coos. He reaches over to pat Jeongguk's dark hair.

Jeongguk takes this moment to observe the boy beside him. Taehyung's blond hair is plastered against his forehead, sweat sticking to his skin from all the singing and dancing around he's done with Jimin and the rest of them this evening. His denim jacket lay discarded on the small coffee table with the rest of their drinks and snacks and he's left in only his black t-shirt. Taehyung is lean and tall, not nearly as muscled as Jeongguk himself. Nevertheless Jeongguk momentarily gets distracted by how well-defined and toned Taehyung's arms are when he realizes something. 

The fourth thing about his hyungs that Jeongguk has learned tonight is that Kim Taehyung is a _liar_. 

"You lied," Jeongguk tells Taehyung, scooting closer to him. Maybe he's feeling a little braver, loose-limbed now that he's spent quite a lot of time with his hyungs tonight than he has in years. 

"What?" Taehyung laughs. 

"You said that your singing was _decent,_ " Jeongguk says, nudging Taehyung's shoulder playfully. "Hyung, your voice is great!" 

"I'm _okay—_ " Taehyung insists.

"Your voice is _amazing_ —" Jeongguk is about to argue when Jimin shoots up in his seat next to them, the drink in his hand sloshing out of his cup. "Of course he's amazing!" He says, slurring a little. His orange hair lays messily atop his head and he clutches onto Taehyung's shoulder, leaning against him. "He's not Kim Taehyung for nothing! Singer of Sweet Night, most number ones on the iTunes charts in a hundred and nine countries—" 

"Wait," Jeongguk pauses, certain he's heard those specific words in that specific order from somewhere before, printed on buses and outdoor cafés. He faces Taehyung properly. He has a sneaking suspicion of what Jimin means and by the way Taehyung looks at him, he suspects that his hunch is right. 

Taehyung looks at him sheepishly, maybe a little guilty even, one side of his mouth quirked upward. "How updated are you with Korean entertainment?" He asks. 

"Not much," Jeongguk states. "But are you, perhaps, V?" 

Taehyung looks at him in surprise. "How do you know that if you aren't updated?" 

Jeongguk shakes his head, "Your ads— they're like, everywhere. I didn't know it was you until right now when Jimin said your song charted a shit ton internationally," he explains. "Did you know your face was on a bus? That's where I first saw it." 

Taehyung giggles, "That happens often enough, I think." 

Jeongguk smiles at him. "So yeah, congrats on your music charting, hyung. That's amazing— you're," he stops abruptly, stutters out a shy, "You're amazing." 

"You said that already," Taehyung huffs, amused, but Jeongguk sees the tips of his ears turning red at the compliment. 

Jeongguk doesn't understand where all his courage is coming from, but if it makes Taehyung blush so prettily every time he does it, he's going to do it more often. 

"Your hair was blue, in the ad," Jeongguk says. "It was really pretty."

Taehyung laughs again, looks at him in a way that sets off the butterflies in Jeongguk's stomach again. "You're cute, Jeongguk-ah," he says. His face is so close to Jeongguk's right now that he can make out the little mole under Taehyung's right eye. Jeongguk is still charmed by the way one of his eyes is monolid and the other isn't. His stare falls to Taehyung's plush lips, pink and glossy from the lip balm he periodically dabs on. 

(He wonders if they're as soft as he imagines.) 

"Such a flatterer, hm?" Taehyung smiles, tapping under his chin again. 

Jimin is looking back and forth between the two of them in disgust. He's still a little tipsy as he pouts. "Yah," he says. "Quit this weird flirting, mating dance right now." He turns to Jeongguk. "Taehyungie is my soulmate," he reminds him, and then turns to Taehyung, "And Jeonggukkie is my baby." 

He looks at them seriously. "I will eat both of your kneecaps— as in both pairs of—" He pauses, confused by his own words. He contemplates for a while before opening his mouth and continuing, "Of your _fucking_ knees— if you break each other's hearts!" 

Taehyung bursts out laughing. "Okay, Jiminie, I promise that there will be no heartbreaking going on, right Gukkie?" He says seriously, looking at Jeongguk. Jeongguk nods solemnly, playing along. "Promise, Jimin hyung." 

Jimin nods. "Okay." He swirls his drink around, exclaiming, "More drinks, please!" 

They leave the _noraebang_ when it's almost midnight. They'd been singing their hearts out for nearly two hours and by the end of it Jeongguk is winded and kind of dizzy. Seokjin, ever the dutiful hyung, cut off everyone's soju supply after the one hour and thirty minute mark and made everyone gulp down water, regardless of whether or not they'd been drinking in the first place. 

Jeongguk had gotten a text from his brother just before they decided it was time to head home, telling him to get home safely or else their eomma would have his head. _Eomma's words, not mine!_ the text said. 

They're waiting by the curb for their Ubers to arrive when Jeongguk feels a weight on his side. He feels Taehyung press close to him, hugging him tiredly from the side and resting his chin on Jeongguk's shoulder. "Jeonggukkie," he draws out. "I'm really, really glad you came back." He murmurs, voice muffled from the fabric of Jeongguk's jacket. "Missed you so much." 

Jeongguk smiles despite his exhaustion, hugs Taehyung back as tightly as he can even if sleep is heavy on his eyelids. "I missed you too, Tae," he replies. "Really, really." 

"I have to go back to the studio tomorrow," Taehyung whines. "I don't want to. Want to sleep in and cuddle with Tannie and see you again." 

He's lost count of the number of times he's blushed this evening. He doesn't normally get this flustered around cute boys but Taehyung seems to have that effect on him. 

"You'll see me a lot more from now on, hyungie," Jeonnguk says. "You have my number." 

"Besides," he adds. "I'm not leaving, ever." 

Taehyung squeezes him tight around his waist, doesn't say anything as their rides arrive and the seven of them split into the two cars. Jeongguk and Taehyung and Jimin file into the back seat of one of them and proceed to knock the fuck out on the way back to the Jeons' house where Taehyung's and Seokjin's cars are parked. 

"Guk-ah, it was really great seeing you today," a sobered up Namjoon says as he opens the passenger seat of Jin's car. Seokjin is already in the driver's seat while Hoseok and Yoongi sit in the back. "I hope we see you more often, okay?" He tells him, giving his shoulder a firm pat. "Don't be a stranger." 

"After all the mess I've seen today?" Jeongguk jokes, snickering. "Of course I won't." 

Shooting him one last wave over his shoulder, Namjoon gets into the car and closes the door shut, driving off shortly after. Once they're gone, Jeongguk turns to Taehyung. 

"Get home safe, hyung," he says. He peeks into the passenger seat, watching Jimin doze. "Jiminie hyung too." 

"We will," Taehyung promises. "I think he'll be sleeping over tonight," he chuckles, giving the orange haired boy a sideways glance. 

"Jeongguk-ah." 

Jeongguk stares at him attentively, eyebrows raised in question. "I meant it when I said I wanted to see you again," Taehyung says. "I want to hang out with you more, just the two of us." 

"The two of us?" He repeats, surprised. Taehyung really better not be joking around. Jeongguk doesn't think his heart can take it with the way it's beating so fast. 

Taehyung nods his head, looks at him adoringly. "You're really cute, you know?" He says. "And I know we've only just met again, but you're something, Jeon Jeongguk." 

"I used to have the biggest crush on you," he blurts out. He doesn't know why he says it, but the look on Taehyung's face is enough to understand that he didn't expect it either. 

"Like I said," Taehyung manages with a shake of his head, looking at Jeongguk fondly. "Really cute, really something." 

Jeongguk smiles so widely his eyes turn into slits and his nose scrunches up in happiness, relieved that he hasn't been rejected. He's starting to think that his crush never really went away, laying dormant until Taehyung showed up out of nowhere today. 

"You're not so bad yourself, Taehyungie," he teases. Which is a total lie, because he thinks Taehyung is _gorgeous_ . And really sweet, _and_ he wants to kiss his cheeks whenever he smiles. Heart beating quickly in his chest, he reaches out to bravely grasp Taehyung's hand. "When are you next free?" He asks. 

"Pretty sure I have time tomorrow if I'm not really busy at the company," Taehyung says, grinning. He squeezes their clasped hands, swinging them gently. "If you're busy, it's cool," Jeongguk says quickly, not wanting to interfere with his work. "We can hang out whenever, really." 

"I'll make time," Taehyung insists, tugs him closer. He looks at Jeongguk so sincerely that the tiny little crush Jeongguk was nursing is starting to get out of hand. 

"So, tomorrow? I'll text you." 

Jeongguk gives in to his urges and leans forward to plant a kiss on his cheek. "Tomorrow," he grins. 

Taehyung's brief look of surprise morphs into a small smile. He shakes his head, trying and failing to conceal the giant grin that's threatening to break out on his face. He releases Jeongguk's hand and walks over to the driver's seat of the car. 

"Actually, hyung, text me when you get home," Jeongguk calls. 

Taehyung's smirk is playful. "What, miss me already, Jeon?"

Jeongguk rolls his eyes. "No, loser, so I know you're home safe." 

Taehyung shoots him a wink as he gets into the car. And Jeongguk has been smiling the whole time, long after Taehyung and Jimin have driven off, as he walks back into his house. 

Later, when he's dressed for sleep and settled into his bed, he gets a text. 

**taehyungie hyung:** hey i'm homeee

 **taehyungie hyung:** good night gukkie 😘 sleep well. i can't wait to see you tomorrow!!

Jeongguk texts him back, giggling and burying himself further into his covers like he's worried someone's going to come in and catch him acting like a teenager with a massive crush. 

He can't wait for tomorrow. 

**jeonggukkie:** 💖💖

☆

(Their one date turns into two, and then three then four until Jeongguk loses count of the number of times they'd gone out together. It's easy being with Taehyung, they bicker a lot like they used to as kids and tease and flirt like a bunch of teenagers.

It's comfortable. Taehyung is comfortable.

And Jeongguk is halfway in love already.)

☆ 

Jeongguk's become quite familiar with the layout of the BigHit Entertainment building. In the last year that he and Taehyung have been dating, in between his boyfriend's busy schedule and his school hours, the company building that Taehyung and Yoongi work at has been somewhat of a frequent meeting place for them. 

Jeongguk knocks on the door of the studio they told him Taehyung was working in, peeking his head in tentatively so as not to disturb anyone inside. He breaks out into a smile when he sees his boyfriend sitting on a chair in front of an electric keyboard. 

"What are you doing here?" Taehyung asks as he swivels in his seat, grinning when Jeongguk begins to approach him. 

"I came to pick you up for our date," Jeongguk answers, reaching out to lace their fingers together. He pats his hair down, which is fluffy from the wind outside. Taehyung coos at his appearance, squeezing his rosy cheeks, flushed from the cold. He'd bundled up before coming down here in a white turtleneck under a long black coat, white gloves covering his hands. (It's times like this where he misses the warm California weather.) 

Taehyung laughs, pointing at his phone propped up against the wall and the top of the keyboard. "In a minute," he says. He turns back to the stream, leaning back a little so Jeongguk can be seen. "Say hi to the fans, Gukkie!" 

Jeongguk crouches down so he's eye level with Taehyung's phone. "Oh, hello, everyone!" He greets, waving. He sits down next to Taehyung. "Looks like my date is here," Taehyung tells the viewers happily. He scoots closer to the screen to read a few more comments. " _'Your boyfriend is very handsome,'_ " he reads, smiling. "He is, isn't he?" 

In his seat beside him, Jeongguk blushes off screen, wrinkling his nose and squeezing Taehyung's hand. "I guess I'll end the live here, everyone," he says to his audience. "It was nice talking to you all and I hope I can do another one soon when I'm not too busy!"

With a final wave, Taehyung ends the stream and turns back to his boyfriend. "So," Taehyung begins, leaning forward until he's all up in Jeongguk's personal space— not that Jeongguk minds, just gives him a wide eyed stare, amused. Taehyung's hair is dyed a dark brown now, fluffy and curly because that's Taehyung's favorite way to style it lately. "Come here often?" He asks, half-serious as he stares at Jeongguk seductively. 

Jeongguk snorts, pushing his face away. "You're such a loser, oh my god," he cackles. Taehyung grabs hold of his hands again, pulling him closer. "Yeah, but this loser's your boyfriend," he counters, pointing at himself. "So who's really winning here?" 

Jeongguk's smile is blinding as he looks at Taehyung, who's sporting a grin of his own. 

"Now come along, boyfriend," Taehyung says, palm out for him to take. "We have a date to get to, don't we?" 

Jeongguk takes his hand, pulling himself up so that they're standing eye-to-eye. "Okay, boyfriend," he replies. Taehyung presses a quick, chaste kiss to his lips that the both of them laugh into. "Let's go!" 

Jeongguk lets himself get pulled along, smiling silly at the back of Taehyung's head. Has Jeongguk mentioned just how in love he is? Taehyung has been such a blessing to him, making him happier than he thought he was. Protected and content and safe. He thanks the universe everyday for landing his ass back in Seoul after being away for so long. Twelve year old Jeongguk probably wouldn't believe him if he told him. 

He's right where he belongs. With Taehyung, his safe place.

**Author's Note:**

> thank you for reading until the end!! i hope you liked it c: don't forget to leave kudos and comments if you did!  
>    
> [i'm on twitter!](https://twitter.com/whiskeykth) | [curiouscat](https://curiouscat.qa/whiskeykth)


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